You’ve probably seen the television show Hoarders and assumed that people with hoarding issues are simply stubborn, irrational people. According to the American Psychiatric Association, hoarding is a mental and psychological disorder that makes it difficult for people to part with their possessions. Their inability to get rid of things that they no longer need or use causes an inevitable buildup of trash, garbage, and junk inside and outside their properties. 

This disorder not only affects the mental health of the person suffering from the condition, but it also severely impacts the relationships these people have with the people in their lives. It can also make it extremely difficult for them to live in their home. Once a city or county becomes aware of a hoarding situation, they will most likely get involved. A hoarder house can endanger not only the health and safety of the person living in the home but also the health and safety of people living nearby.

Reasons to Call a Hoarder Property Cleaning Service

 There are several reasons that a hoarder property cleaning service may need to get involved with a hoarding house cleanup. Just a few of those reasons include the following.

Eviction/Expulsion

When a hoarding situation becomes so bad that it affects the structural integrity of the house, the city or county may declare the space uninhabitable and remove the tenant from the premises. They may put certain conditions in place that need to be met before they allow the home to be lived in again. The number one condition that needs to be met will most likely be that the house has to be thoroughly professionally cleaned and sanitized. This is because most hoarder houses end up being filled with biohazardous waste that must be disposed of properly.

New Owner

When a new owner buys a hoarder home, they’re going to have to get the place cleaned. They’ll need to seek out professional hoarder cleaning services so that dangerous waste and garbage can be removed and the place properly cleansed from top to bottom.

Personal Change

If a hoarder gets the psychological help they need, they may be ready to have their home cleaned out. They’ll need to work with a professional cleaning service because the task will most likely be way too difficult for them to handle on their own.

Abandoned Space

Sometimes hoarders simply move out of their homes, leaving everything behind. Sometimes they pass away in the space. Hoarder home cleaning companies will be called in to clean, sanitize, and dispose of all of the trash and biohazardous waste left behind. 

How Many Levels of Hoarding Are There?

There are actually five recognized levels of hoarding. The level of hoarding that a home has will determine what type of cleaning will be necessary.

Level One

Level One is the lightest level of hoarding. The doors and windows of the home are still accessible, and there may be light evidence of dust and dirt. You may notice a couple of animal waste issues, but the amount of clutter in the home is not overwhelming. You usually won’t smell anything.

Level Two

At Level Two, you’ll probably notice that a major exit or entrance to the home is blocked. You may have appliances like air conditioning units that may not have worked for at least half a year. You may smell a bit of pet odor, and it may be clear that something like cat litter hasn’t been changed in a while. A couple of rooms in the home may be filled with clutter, and it may be difficult to distinguish one room from the other. You’re starting to smell some odors here, and it’s clear that regular housekeeping isn’t done.

Level Three

With a Level Three hoarding situation, clutter has spilled out into the outside of the home. This will include items that would normally be kept indoors like furniture or appliances. You may see some structural damage, and there may be an abundance of pets that are not house trained. There’s clear evidence of a pest infestation, and you may see fleas or gnats throughout the home. It may be impossible to use one of the bathrooms, and things like bed linens may not have been cleaned or changed for months.

Level Four

Level Four is where you start to see serious structural damage. Mold and mildew is very obvious throughout the home, and you may encounter hazardous electrical wiring issues. Animal waste has most likely been left alone for weeks or months, and there’s tons of pet damage. Dangerous and/or flammable materials may be stored throughout the home, and there is tons of rotting food located in the kitchen and throughout the home. Pests like lice and bedbugs are prevalent throughout the entire space.

Level Five

Level Five hoarding is the highest and most extreme level of hoarding. At this level, you have severe structural damage, utilities that are no longer connected, and dangerous and serious septic issues. Vermin and pests are no longer hiding but instead are very visible to the naked eye. Hazardous conditions are everywhere, causing flooding and fire hazards. Human feces and rotting food are prevalent throughout the home since the kitchen and bathrooms are no longer able to be used. It is next to impossible to move past clutter and garbage. 

Hoarding situations are extremely difficult to handle, but our teams are trained to go in and completely sanitized, disinfect, and deodorize hoarder homes so that they can be fit for human habitation again. Whether an existing tenant will be moving back into a home, or a new owner wants to make the home livable for themselves or for new tenants, we have the equipment, know-how, and strategy to attack every level of hoarding.

 You’re not alone in this. Give us a call so that we start discussing your options.